NASA closes the book on epic OSIRIS-REx asteroid-sampling mission: ‘I am immensely proud of what we did’
NASA closes the book on epic OSIRIS-REx asteroid-sampling mission: ‘I am immensely proud of what we did’

NASA’s OSIRIS-REx asteroid-sampling mission formally ended on Sept. 30, 2026, though scientists will continue to study the pieces of space rock it returned for decades.

‘They’re kind of goth’: NASA spacecraft gives mysterious brown dwarfs a close-up
‘They’re kind of goth’: NASA spacecraft gives mysterious brown dwarfs a close-up

Using NASA’s SPHEREx spacecraft, astronomers have studied a horde of mysterious “failed stars,” or brown dwarfs, not-so-stellar loners that wander the darkness of space alone.

Elephant Island is an icy sight from orbit | Space photo of the day for Oct. 19, 2026
Elephant Island is an icy sight from orbit | Space photo of the day for Oct. 19, 2026

The European Space Agency’s Copernicus Sentinel-3 satellite mission captured a close-up of West Antarctica from its perch high above Earth.

Did a giant object collide with Earth to form the moon?
Did a giant object collide with Earth to form the moon?

Known as the giant-impact hypothesis, this proposed event involves a collision between Earth and a hypothetical Mars-sized protoplanet astronomers call Theia.

Watch Japan launch a bold sample-return mission to Mars moon Phobos today
Watch Japan launch a bold sample-return mission to Mars moon Phobos today

Japan will launch its audacious MMX sample-return mission to Mars today (Oct. 19), and you can watch the historic action live.

Astronomers want your help finding ‘missing’ black holes in the Milky Way

A citizen science project is seeking volunteers to comb through NASA telescope data for telltale signs of the galaxy’s hidden black holes.

Scientists find ‘gemstones’ in atmosphere of bizarre, scorching-hot ‘marshmallow’ exoplanet
Scientists find ‘gemstones’ in atmosphere of bizarre, scorching-hot ‘marshmallow’ exoplanet

Using data from the James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers have unravelled some of the secrets of a bizarre, blisteringly hot exoplanet that has the consistency of marshmallow.

Supermassive black hole blasts out a neon ‘treble clef’ | Space photo of the day for Oct. 16, 2026
Supermassive black hole blasts out a neon ‘treble clef’ | Space photo of the day for Oct. 16, 2026

What looks like a neon pink treble clef floating out in space is actually a bizarre source of radio waves spotted deep in the cosmos.

It’s time to reassess the size of our solar system, scientists say
It’s time to reassess the size of our solar system, scientists say

Two leading space scientists say there is a need to redefine the edge of the solar system based on the Milky Way’s gravity, including its dark matter.